


Tight Quarters

by Name1



Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: F/M, Family Feels, Fluff, Sharing a Bed, Sleepy Cuddles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:20:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27576434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Name1/pseuds/Name1
Summary: Cara boards the Crest again after it has significant repairs, but there's still only one bed :|
Relationships: Din Djarin & Cara Dune, Din Djarin/Cara Dune
Comments: 37
Kudos: 178





	Tight Quarters

He'd finally gotten the Crest space-worthy after spending an exorbitant amount of credits--so much, that it seemed that only the original frame remained in a sea of new parts. The guns, the engines, and even the ramp had to go when they couldn't be salvaged. Some of the interior fixtures and structures remained in the cockpit, but all of the plating and seals had to be replaced before he dared take her in space again. Plating that thick to cover the entire outside of the ship wasn't cheap, and while the new panels would protect from the vacuum of space and pesky things like radiation and debris, it simply wasn't as thick as the old stuff, which meant the temperature dropped to just above tolerable at night. He was tired of being cold....

The last few weeks had seemed like months; not just for his poor ship, but for Din himself. Between the mamacore, a giant sand worm krayt dragon thing, and ice spiders (all while wrangling a baby that tried to eat him out of house and home), Din looked forward to having someone trusted by his side to share his long days with. He could use all the help he could get, but it didn't hurt that he also liked the passenger he convinced to travel with him again.

He'd only had an hour to 'fix up' the new and improved Crest before Cara was set to arrive once she wrapped things up on Nevarro. In that time, he’d put up a curtain to give some privacy around the shower which was basically a pipe with a fluted head emerging from the wall and a corresponding drain on the floor. It was just him usually, so there was no need for modesty, but he’d strung it up for her right before she made it up the ramp with her bag. There was nothing to do about the sleeping quarters. He'd let her have it.

They were heading out together but the Crest didn't feel small just because of the extra presence on board. It was packed from floor to ceiling with cargo of all shapes and sizes-- a delivery job, two systems over, that would help recoup the cost of repairs. Greef had suggested the easy job that probably wouldn't even end in them getting shot at for a change. Nothing was especially heavy to affect their fuel usage but every nook and cranny was filled or stacked with crates. The kid loved it. They'd strapped everything down so it wasn't a falling hazard and it transformed the familiar space into his own personal playground full of new corners and passages to explore and hide behind, much to Din's resignation. He could almost feel the panic building in him imagining the kid hiding from him so well he couldn't find the little guy. Cara could probably help in that regard. Between the two of them they could flush him out with the use of liberal snacks.

They took off before last light and Din sighed a sigh of relief when they made it through the atmosphere without either rattling apart or burning to a crisp. It seemed the repairs were solid after all. Dinner, cards, and catching up for time spent apart, made the night cycle approach much faster than it usually did. He was surprised how much he'd missed her presence on the ship with him and how it seemed like they'd only been separated for several days instead of several months. 

By the third time she let out a yawn, he knew they couldn't put off sleep any longer. He was about to drop himself. 

She brought up the sleeping arrangements before he even got the chance to broach the subject. "I’ll find a patch of floor and bunk down for the night," she said, as she stood up to stretch and looked around for a small piece of unoccupied floor not filled with crates or boxes.

"Don't be ridiculous, I’m not letting you sleep on the floor," he tells her, offended she would believe he'd be so rude. "If we hit any turbulence all the boxes will crash down on you. You take my bunk, and I’ll sleep in the cockpit."

"Don’t be stupid.," she tells him. "We can share."

"It’s not even really big enough for _me,_ " he argues, referring to the tiny sliver of flat surface he sleeps on.

"Then we’ll have to huddle up then," she states, sounding not inconvenienced at all.

"You might change your mind once you see it," he warns her.

She gets a funny look on her face. "Look, if you don’t want me in there just say so. I get it, it's your space and I'm not----"

"That’s not it," he argues, not wanting her to get the wrong idea, "but it really _is_ tight. Come on, I'll show you."

He climbs down the ladder ahead of her and opens the steel door to show her the sleeping compartment

"Okay, it’s..... _cozy_. But we can make it work," she hedges. She starts taking off her outer sweatshirt. "At least no one is sleeping on the freezing floor."

"What are you doing?" he asks, when she doesn't even turn her back when it's clear she's dressing down.

"Getting ready for bed," She tells him. "What does it look like?" An arm disappears inside her shirt and then out again before the second one does the same thing. She wiggles a bit and pulls her bra out from the bottom of her shirt. _How the hell did she manage that?_

"Do you want me to keep these pants on? I only have the two pairs and they’re both thick. I usually sleep without."

"Whatever makes you comfortable." He had the sudden thought he might not be sleeping all that well.

"Where does the kid sleep?" she asks, as she looks down at their socked feet to see the little guy waiting to be put down for the night as well. Din's happy for the change of subject as he tries not to notice as she peels her socks off.

"Up there," he says, and points to a hammock she hadn't even noticed.

He strips down too, though wears thin sleep pants and a shirt. His feet are bare like hers though.

"You want to get in first?" she asks. _It is his bed after all._

"Ladies first," is his reply. He even makes a welcoming gesture with his arm.

She snorts at the modifier. "Fine. I’m exhausted. I’m not going to argue." She crawls in and settles on her side with her chest and knees against the wall and her back open for him to squeeze in behind.

There is no way he can fit but he climbs in anyway. He leaves the lights on so they can see what they're doing. They're totally all over each other in the tight space, and it would be hilarious if he was watching it as an observer, but as it was, he felt like every inch they were touching was on fire.

She keeps shifting to find a good spot. He was right, it _was_ tight. Din's voice is different this close to her face even with the helmet still in place. "If you're not comfortable sleeping this close, I can..."

"Oh, shut up. We're sharing a sleeping surface. No need to make it weird. It's not like either one of us could get on our backs even if we wanted to. Just put your arm over me and go to sleep." An arm and leg were already thrown over her so they can fit side by side but he moves his hand slightly so it's not going to slip and embarrass them both. 

Strategic shifting, and moving, and wiggling later, they finally settle down. He's pressed against her back from his chest down to his feet. He can feel the kid watching them from up above and it makes him even more aware what it must look like huddled so tightly together. "Okay. Lights out," he says, and the room is plunged into complete darkness.

He pulls one hand back so he can get to the beskar on his face that's making it impossible to get comfortable. He's not just concerned with getting a crick in his neck; he's worried about headbutting her in his sleep too. He goes to remove his helmet so they're both more comfortable but stops. "I usually sleep with this off, is that okay?" He’s asking more than just that, but surely she picks up on it. He knows he can trust her but he wants to hear her say it.

"Of course. I won’t turn the lights on or get up without telling you."

"Hmmmph. Like you _could,_ " he jokes. He’s practically wrapped around her whole body once his arm returns to its previous placement. It would be impossible for either of them to so much as breathe without the other one being alerted to it.

The bed which is normally hard and cold, is somehow soft and warm now with a second person in it that there's absolutely no room for. She takes ahold of his arm and pulls it tighter around her and pins it to her chest in a soft spot that feels like it was made for this. Her body shifts back toward him to get more comfortable and in the process she she uses his collarbone as a lumpy pillow when she leans her head back. He uses her as a pillow as well to rest his face against her head--there's not really much of a choice in the tight space. He tries to keep his face from burying in her hair but realizes it's a lost cause and lets his face relax against hers--mouth full of hair and all. Their feet are touching--even their bony ankles where his loose sleeping pants have ridden up. Her hips are flush against his as she slides a foot back so it’s between his calves and settles down for the night with a sigh so deep he felt his own chest compress when hers expanded. Unlike every other night she struggles to force herself to fall asleep, she's out almost instantly. He follows shortly after. 

........

A thump startles her awake and she jumps up. She must have been face down on Din’s chest from how she struggled to sit up, completely entangled in his arms. How did they manage to get in this position from the full-body spooning earlier?

Her attempt to suddenly sit up pulls a confused Din with her. 

"What? What is it? What's wrong?" he asked, suddenly alert and awake at her alarm.

"What was _that_?" she asks, to his general vicinity in the dark. "That _thump_."

He relaxes as he feels the tiny weight shifting on his feet. He relaxes instantly at the familiar sensation that's becoming a nightly thing. "Oh, it’s just the kid," he says, almost fondly. "He likes to climb down sometimes. If you stay still you'll feel him in full stealth mode as he crawls up here hoping I don't notice and put him back."

"You let him sleep with you?" she asked, mildly surprised. _That was surprisingly sweet._ The last time she had seen them, he had only started to hold him like a baby and not a sack of grain. She saw the shoulder bag he carried him in today so he was always on his person and had to keep herself from laughing at how natural they looked together now. She wonders what all transpired since their last meeting...

"He just wants to cuddle," Din explains. "He won't keep you awake. It’s fine, go back to sleep." He pulls her back down. She feels the kid crawling up their tangled legs and relaxes to lie back down on Din’s chest. She doesn’t know when she rolled over but getting back on her side would require both of them doing some serious rearranging and Din seemed comfy where he was, so she lays back down on him. She's not sure where his arms and legs end and hers begin. 

"I’m not too heavy am I?" she asks, when she realizes how much of her weight is resting on him.

"No, you’re warm though. Like a furnace."

"Me?" she asks, disbelievingly. " _You're_ the furnace. I'm sweating over here."

He was too, and at least some of it could be attributed to the temperature. "It _is_ getting a bit hot in here," he admits, and tosses the blanket back some so it's around their hips. He’s glad they’re both so tired or this could get embarrassing. She feels so good sprawled against him like this. They're completely tangled together--her arms are wrapped around him and her bare leg is thrown over his hips. Her hair smells good and she's right....she is sweating. It's a smell he's missed since the last time they sparred together months ago. He’s missed _her_. It was getting more than warm in here--it was hot. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been this hot at night or the last time bare legs wrapped around him and the sound of someone's breathing lulled him to sleep--the kid's snores didn't count. What was it she had said? _They were just sharing a sleeping surface? Don't make it weird....._

"If I knew we’d be sleeping together, I’d have taken a shower," he says, without his mouth running the thought by his brain first. He mentally sighs. _Great, that sounded forward as hell._ He meant to say sharing a sleeping surface, not sleeping together.

Luckily, she diidn't call him out on his stupid turn of phrase. "It’s fine. You don’t smell bad Din." His name in the small enclosed space seemed much more striking and intimate than it had before they hit the rack. "That being said," she says, as she snuggles more firmly against his chest, "I'm not planning on shoving my face in your armpit to push my luck, so relax."

He didn't feel all that relaxed to her. He shifted and adjusted the same as her but for some reason she just knew his eyes were still open. He had said the room was too small and made it sound like letting her sleep alone was for her comfort, but maybe it was for his and he'd been too polite to say. _Shit. Day one, and she'd already encroached on his space._ She wondered if maybe this was too close quarters for him. "Hey, you sure you want me here? It's not too late to change your mind."  
  


"Of course, we just have to get comfortable again. I think my foot might be asleep."

She unwraps her leg and places her foot under his instead. " I didn't just mean in bed. Elbows and knees can be moved, but invading your personal space the rest of the day--it's harder to avoid if I'm living here."

Din inwardly curses. _It hadn't even been a single night and she was asking if he wanted her to leave. He must not have done a good job making her feel welcome after all._

"Of course I want you here," he states. "I'm the one who asked you to come with us."

She appreciates the sentiment, but wants to be sure she's not wearing out her welcome with the full body contact. "I just don't want you to regret me encroaching on your space. You've traveled on your own for a long time. It takes some getting used to having another person in your face all the time."

"Having you around all the time sounds great," he tells her. "I _want_ you here, really. Smart mouth, elbows, knees and all. It wasn't the same without you."

He can feel her cheek against his chest as she grins. "So, you're admitting I grew on you?"

He huffs a laugh and it makes her face shake where she's resting against him. "Yeah, like one of those invasive vine species in the jungle that takes over everything and squeezes it to death."

She gives a squeeze with her arms and legs under the guise of getting comfortable. "Seems like a pretty accurate description now."

His arms subconsciously tighten around her as well. His hand had accidentally brushed against her bare hip before he realized it and raised his arms up to safer ground. He'd spent too many months alone, wishing she was here to let her own self doubt ruin this before it began. He can at least try to tell her she's wanted here. "I wouldn't ask you here if I didn't want you to come."

"Just promise me....if it's not what you thought it would be or if you don't think----" she stops and starts as she realizes she's not sure what she wants to say, just the idea. She tries again. "Just tell me if I'm stepping on your toes or you want me to go. I refuse to be extra baggage. I'm not used to living with someone else either and I might not take the hint I'm getting on your nerves."

He could do that, he thinks."None of those things will happen , but yes. I promise."

"I saw you changed the shower too from last time," she says. "I appreciate it, _really_ , but don't change anything else for my sake, okay? This is your home, I'm just visiting for an undisclosed length of time."

He has to argue that. "It feels much _more_ like home when you and the kid are both here filling it with endless chatter." She smacks him but he grabs her hand and tucks it away. "You're not just a passenger. You're probably the only person who's ever been on this ship who I didn't want to get rid of as fast as possible. I......missed you." He can't imagine possibly getting more honest than that.

That was truthfully more honest than she'd been expecting, but the dead of night always seemed to have that effect on them. She remembered the last time they'd traveled together and some of the late night talks they'd had. There was honesty in both alcohol and darkness it seemed. "I have no idea why," she sasses back, "but I'll let you win because it's the middle of the night."

The kid snuggles up on Din’s stomach, but the way she’s laying across him, means the little guy snuggles up against the side of her chest as well. He'd found the perfect valley where the two of them came together to create a wall of softness and warmth. 

"Go to sleep kid," she tells him. "I'm not going to smother your dad--not on purpose anyway." He snuggles down and she feels his ears relax against her ribcage. She still couldn't get over the fact that apparently the fuzzy green bean cuddles up to Din to sleep now. He was like a little furnace too.

"He never settles down this quick," Din says, clearly impressed. "You must be a miracle worker. He usually fusses and squirms to go back to sleep."

"I guess we make a better bed than his hammock," she proposes.

"That’s true. Definitely warmer at least. Once we get rid of all this cargo I can build you a sleeping pod or expand this one."

"Why?" she asks. She didn't mind this at all. "I can't remember the last time I fell asleep this fast either. It's warm like this."

Din had to admit a warm bed shared with her was much better than sleeping alone but he needed to stop this conversation before he did something stupid like admit that out loud. "Okay..... You let me know if you change your mind in the morning when your back is killing you..."

She stretches her hip to get her leg across him in a better spot and it results in both of them having to completely rearrange so she isn't in danger of kneeing him in a place no man wants to be kneed in. He takes her bare knee in his hand and holds it across his thigh instead. The back of her knee was sweaty against his palm and he forgot why he thought it was a good idea for her to sleep without pants. He turns his head to tell her something and almost hits her nose with his chin and they both laugh. "Maybe another few inches of bed couldn't hurt," she admits.

He smothered his grin into her hair. "That's what I thought."

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for tuning again to my ramblings :) hope you enjoyed it. It's only a matter of days until they reunite on screen so I had to get this done asap.


End file.
